Locked (2025) Review: A Modern Rehash of Phone Booth That Misses the Point

I just finished watching Locked, and I have to say, it left me feeling more frustrated than thrilled. The film clearly wants to recreate the kind of tight, claustrophobic tension that made Phone Booth such a masterpiece, but it never quite gets there. The story follows Eddie, played by Bill Skarsgård, a small-time car thief who breaks into a luxury SUV only to realize he is trapped inside by its owner, played by Anthony Hopkins. What begins as a simple theft turns into a twisted game of survival as Hopkins’s character torments him from afar.

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At first, I was hooked. The setup is brilliant, and the confined setting inside the car builds real suspense. Bill Skarsgård does a solid job carrying the film almost entirely on his own. His fear feels real, and he manages to keep the tension alive even when the dialogue starts to lose direction. Hopkins’s voice dominates every scene he appears in. He plays the villain with a chilling calmness that makes the situation even more unsettling. It is one of those performances that remind you how powerful presence alone can be.

But about halfway through, the movie started to lose me. The tension that felt so sharp at the beginning starts to fade as the story circles around the same conflict without much evolution. The film hints at deeper themes like justice, morality, and class, but it never really explores them. It feels like the writers wanted to say something profound but settled for surface-level thrills instead. By the time the ending came, I was more impatient than curious. The conclusion feels rushed and leaves too many questions unanswered.

The visuals are strong, though. The way the camera moves around the confined space gives the car a strange life of its own. The lighting and sound work together to make the atmosphere claustrophobic and tense. Technically, it is impressive. Emotionally, it is a bit hollow.

Watching Locked made me appreciate Phone Booth even more. That film had moral weight and emotional clarity. Colin Farrell’s character was trapped not just physically but psychologically. You felt every ounce of his guilt and fear. In contrast, Locked feels like it is trying to reach that same emotional space but never quite figures out how. It is slick and watchable, but it does not leave you thinking about anything once the credits roll.

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I would not say Locked is a bad movie. It has great performances and a strong concept, but it feels like a copy that forgot what made the original so powerful. If you are in the mood for a confined-space thriller, it is worth a look. But honestly, if you have not seen Phone Booth, I would recommend watching that instead. It does everything Locked tries to do and does it far better.